Committee Meeting Information

June 12 and 13, 2007

Strausner Student Center – Room 217

Casper, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Senator Grant C. Larson, Co-Chairman

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

Senator Eli Bebout

Senator Stan Cooper

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative Amy Edmonds (Wednesday only)

Representative Floyd Esquibel

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Elaine Harvey

Representative Saundra Meyer

Representative Lorraine Quarberg

Representative William "Jeb" Steward

 

Committee Members Absent

Senator Bob Fecht

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

Call To Order (June 12, 2007)

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

 

Executive Summary

The Committee heard from the Aeronautics Commission, the Banking Commission, the Real Estate Commission, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Office of State Lands and Investments and received background information regarding Wyoming's energy assets.  The Committee will consider bills on the residential mortgages act, designated real estate agents, the drinking water account and the water pollution control account at the fall meeting.

 

The Committee accepted reports from the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Audit and the Wyoming Business Council.

 

Wyoming Aeronautics Commission

Shelly Reams, Aeronautics Administrator, Amber Schlabs, Christy Yaffa, Talbot Hauffe and Kaitlyn Hunter with the Aeronautics Division presented information on funding for airport improvements, the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission Loan Program and the Fly Wyoming campaign [Appendices 3 through 7].

 

Jay Lundell with the Gillette-Campbell County Airport and Glenn Jenuska with the Natrona County International Airport provided perspectives on regional and small airports. 

 

Wyoming Energy Assets

Bob Kayser, President and CEO of Energy Expediters, Inc., discussed coal gasification, uranium assets, natural gas, oil, gas to liquids, coal liquefaction, vehicle fuel efficiency and enhanced oil recovery [Appendix 8].

 

Wyoming Residential Mortgages Practices Act

Mike Williams, Deputy Banking Commissioner, Joe Mulberry, Mortgage Supervisor and Marlene Aitchison, Licensing Supervisor provided background information and discussed proposed legislation on amendments necessary to update the Wyoming Residential Mortgages Practices Act [Appendix 9].  Laurie Urbikit with the Wyoming Association of Realtors spoke in favor of the draft legislation.  Mr. Williams was directed to present a draft bill at the fall meeting.

 

Public Comment

Nicholas Agopian and members of the Wyoming Conservation Corps updated the Committee on activities of the Wyoming Conservation Corps. 

 

Meeting Recess

The Committee recessed until 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

 

Call To Order (June 13, 2007)

Co-Chairman Larson called the meeting back to order at 8:00 a.m. 

 

Wyoming Real Estate Commission

Donna Rice, Executive Director of the Wyoming Real Estate Commission, John Gibbs and Colleen Morgan with the Wyoming Real Estate Commission and Laurie Urbigkit, Wyoming Association of Realtors presented back ground information and a draft bill on designated real estate agents [Appendices 10 through 18].  Ms. Rice was directed to present a draft bill for discussion at the September meeting.

 

Department of Environmental Quality

Coalbed Methane

John Corra, Director of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and John Wagner, Water Quality Division Administrator provided information on DEQ's water quality program relating to coalbed methane water quality [Appendices 19 and 20].  The Committee accepted Report #501 regarding the Coalbed methane water feasibility study [Appendix 21].

 

Gene George with Yates Petroleum Corporation presented an industry perspective on the general permit.  Wendy Lowe, with Peabody Coal expressed concern there may be difficulty in getting permits renewed.

 

Abandoned Mine Land Program

Director Corra and Evan Green, Abandoned Mine Land Division Administrator discussed the needs of DEQ to address remaining known abandoned mine land coal sites, non-coal sites, mine subsidence areas and public facilities projects [Appendices 22 through 24]. 

 

Marion Loomis with the Wyoming Mining Association expressed concern with reduction in research grant funds.

 

Office of State Lands and Investments

Lynne Boomgaarden, Director of the Office of State Lands and Investments, Rob Tompkins Grant and Loan Program Administrator and Mr. Green presented information regarding the public facility projects approved by the state loan and investment board and funded by abandoned mine land program [Appendix 25]. 

 

Ms. Boomgaarden provided background information regarding the need for administrative fees on the clean water state revolving fund program to be consistent with the water pollution control account.  This is similar to the bill presented to the Committee last year.  Ms. Boomgaarden will present a draft bill to the Committee at the fall meeting [Appendices 26 and 27]. 

 

Wyoming Energy Assets

Oil and Gas Energy

Rick Marvel, Engineering Manager with the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission updated the Committee regarding activities and production, including production of natural gas, coalbed methane and oil [Appendix 28]. 

 

Coalbed Methane

Mark Doelger, Chairman of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority (WPA) and Brian Jeffries, Executive Director of the WPA discussed coalbed methane,  natural gas production, pipeline capacity, differentials in oil and gas prices and offered a proposal for a pipeline to transfer water from coalbed methane production to either the North Platte River or the Teapot Dome area [Appendices 29 and 30].

 

Reports and updates

The Committee accepted reports #233, 589 and 591 from the Mike Geesey, Director of the Department of Audit and Report #233 from Tucker Fagan, Chief Executive Officer Wyoming Business Council (WBC) [Appendices 31 through 35].

 

Mr. Fagan, Bob Jensen, the new Chief Executive Officer of the WBC, Steve Achter and Ben Avery with WBC presented information on the challenge loan program [Appendices 36 and 37] and explained the draft rules on workforce housing infrastructure [Appendices 38 and 39].

 

public comment

Lon Whitman with the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute invited the Committee to attend a meeting on June 26, 2007 in Casper. 

 

Meeting Adjournment

The next meeting will be September 26 and 27, 2007 in Jackson, Wyoming.  There being no further business, Co-Chairman Larson adjourned the meeting at 4:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix		Appendix Topic		Appendix Description		Appendix Provider
1		Committee Sign-In Sheet		Lists meeting attendees		Legislative Service Office
2		Committee Meeting Agenda		Provides an outline of the topics the Committee addressed at the meeting		Legislative Service Office
3		Wyoming Aeronautics Commission (WAC)		Wyoming Aviation System Notebook		WAC
4		WAC		May 25, 2007 Packet		WAC
5		WAC		Airport Development Funding PowerPoint		WAC
6		WAC		Wyoming Aeronautics Commission Loan Program		WAC
7		WAC		Air Service in Wyoming		WAC
8		Wyoming Energy Assets		Coal Gasification in Wyoming		Bob Kayser
9		Wyoming Residential Mortgages Practices Act		Proposed Amendments to the Wyoming Residential Mortgage Practices Act including Commentary		Wyoming Division of Banking
10		Wyoming Real Estate Commission (WREC)		"Subagency"		WREC
11		WREC		"Vicarious Liability"		WREC
12		WREC		Designated Brokerage:  Colorado Real Estate Agency Law Evolves Again		WREC
13		WREC		Designated Brokerage - PowerPoint		WREC
14		WREC		June 7, 2007 Comments		WREC
15		WREC		Wyoming Designated Brokerage Proposed Legislation - PowerPoint		WREC
16		WREC		Designated Brokerage Proposed Legislation - Narrative		WREC
17		WREC		Designated Brokerage Major Change:		WREC
18		WREC		2007 House Bill 0259 with Comments		WREC
19		Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)		May 15, 2007 Letter –Coal Bed natural Gas		DEQ
20		DEQ		DEQ CBNG Water Permitting Overview		DEQ
21		DEQ		Report #501 – Coalbed methane water feasibility study		DEQ
22		DEQ		Abandoned Coal Mine Land Research Program Call for Proposals		DEQ
23		DEQ		May 15, 2007 Letter – AML Program		DEQ
24		DEQ		Abandoned Mine Lands Overview - PowerPoint		DEQ
25		Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI)		AML Applications July 1997 through April 2005		OSLI
26		OSLI		June 13, 2007 – Background		OSLI
27		OSLI		CWSRF Administration Chart		OSLI
28		Wyoming Energy Assets		Oil and Gas Energy - PowerPoint		Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
29		Wyoming Energy Assets		Discussion Outline		Wyoming Pipeline Authority (WPA)
30		Wyoming Energy Assets		Why timely capacity additions are required to prevent detrimental price discounts for natural gas produced in Wyoming		WPA
31		Reports and Updates		Wyoming Department of Audit		Department of Audit
32		Reports and Updates		Wyoming Department of Audit – PowerPoint		Department of Audit
33		Reports and Updates		Report #233 - Report of Examination		Department of Audit
34		Reports and Updates		Report #233 – Financial and Compliance Audit		Wyoming Business Council (WBC)
35		Reports and Updates		June 5, 2007 Report Due List		Legislative Service Office
36		Reports and Updates		Challenge Loan Recommended Statute Changes		WBC
37		Reports and Updates		Challenge Loan Exception Budget Request		WBC
38		Reports and Updates		Notice of Intent to Adopt Rules – Workforce Housing Infrastructure Loan Program		WBC
39		Reports and Updates		Workforce Housing Infrastructure Loan Program Draft Rules		WBC